In general, the present invention relates to a novel retainer, retaining system, and method of removably holding elongated items of many different cross-sections, widths and lengths to an outer wall of a larger member; and more particularly, to a new retainer having elasticity and method of removably holding an elongated member such as a straw, drink stirrer, tweezers, micro-tool (such as for repairing a watch, pair of glasses, or an electronic gadget), pencil, drill bit, an electric cord, knitting needles, and so on, to a larger receptacle or instrument member (such as a spray can, coffee canister, glass/mug, holder for pencils or other items, note pad, sewing or knitting basket, medical container or instrument, and so on). The new retainer, retaining system, and method comprise a band for arrangement around a periphery of the larger member, and a loop (or looped portion) for retaining the elongated item therein when not in use.
Plastic tubular-shaped straws are often connected to the outlets of aerosol spray cans containing lubricants, expandable foam, drywall patch and other materials used in construction of buildings, and de-greasing agents, to direct the flow of the aerosol when dispensed from the can. Dispensing straws and other tubular-shaped or solid elongated items are not only sold for use with aerosol spray containers, but also with bottled and otherwise packaged drinks, foods, novelties, and so on. Since it is important that the straw or other elongated item be readily available for use as needed, it is typically taped, glued (using a strong solvent-resistant adhesive or food-grade paraffin-based adhesive), or held to the outside of the container, bottle, or packaging with an elastic rubber band. Consumers who use pressurized spray cans (or other products contained in a receptacle) that are sold with a straw often lose the straw soon after it is removed from the side of the container since there is no reliable way to reattach the straw to the container: Once the seal of a bead of solvent-resistant or paraffin-based adhesive is broken, it is not reusable; removing and reapplying the piece of tape a few times removes its sticky surface; and, if not lost soon after removing the straw, a rubber band typically breaks. In addition, each of these known means of holding a straw or other elongated item to a receptacle member orients the straw or other elongated item vertically parallel to, or forced against, the outside wall of the receptacle making straws and other items with small diameters very difficult to grasp and remove from the side of the receptacle.
Others have proposed various designs to hold items against the side of a container and have disclosed their designs in U.S. Pats.: The clip-on device with a circular aperture 22 and a pair of gripping means 40 for assisting in manual biasing of distal ends 34 disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,558,247 issued to Caso; The flexible spring like clip-on device having jaws 30, 32 to secure the straw 26 as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,544,783 issued to Conigliaro; The pipe-holding rim 3 having integrally attached members 4 that depend downwardly from rim 3 (members 4 are lifted up so that a pipe stem can be fed from the bottom through opening 5) disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,738,101 issued to VanderVen; The smoker's pipe rack having apertures 15 formed in a flange 12 outwardly extending from (and integral to) a circular collar 11 disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,864,510; A cover for a tumbler having openings D defined by gripping-jaws C.sup.2 disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 700,653 issued to Jobson; The loose encircling band B provided with a clip R for holding a tooth-brush disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 390,089; A tube holder adapted for attachment to the surface of an aerosol can having a pair of resilient, tube grasping members for receiving the tube therebetween disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,178,354; and The bracket member 14 of a C-shaped configuration having jaws 16, 18 and recess 20 to receive a swizzle stick attached to a novelty-glass disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,715,505.
None of the inventions disclosed in these U.S. Patents offer a simple, yet effective, flexible design that can be readily manufactured. The applicant has been unable to find any of these designs in general distribution for use to removably hold an elongated item to a container. One reason for this is that the solutions proposed in these patents are not practical, cost-effective solutions. Without reasonable alternative solutions at hand for holding, removing and reattaching for later reuse, dispensing-aid straws and other useful items to their respective container members, consumers will continue to misplace, and/or dispose of, these useful items. One can see that the novel retainer of the invention, and associated method of removably holding an elongated item to an outside wall of a larger member, as described herein, provide support and stability to a straw or other elongated item without requiring any redesign of aerosol cans or other containers currently in use.
This simple innovative retainer and its associated method as described herein, are designed for operative arrangement around the periphery of a wide variety of larger receptacles or instrument members currently in use (such as a spray can, coffee canister, glass/mug, any holder for pencils or other hand-held items, note pad, sewing or knitting basket, medical container or instrument, and so on), as well as container designs under development. The retainer and associated method of the invention, as designed allow for relatively easy arrangement around, and removal from, a larger member--and such arrangement and removal can be done without special tools. Furthermore, unlike the designs currently in use and unlike those designs disclosed in the U.S. Patents listed above, the innovative retainer of the invention operatively arranged around a larger member, accepts and removably holds an elongated item so that the item will lean against an outwardly-facing surface of the retainer to orient a top-end of the item out and away a distance from the outside wall of the larger member. This makes the elongated item as held, easier to grasp and remove from the retainer.
As will be appreciated, in the spirit of these design goals, the innovative retainer, retaining system, and associated method described herein: can be operatively arranged around the periphery of a larger member using many different methods; can have one or several loops/looped portions each of which is capable of retaining an elongated item--these loops can be initially oriented inward, outward, upward, or downward with respect to a central area of a band of the retainer; these loops/looped portions can take on many different shapes depending upon the cross-sectional shape of the elongated item being held; and the retainer can be made from many different types of materials as a unitary piece, or as an assembly mechanically fastened together (by way of a tongue-and-groove or other matingly-shaped joint, thermal bonding, or secured together with a suitable adhesive).